Why teenage drinking should be taken seriously

People who are drinking heavily at 18 are more likely to develop an alcohol problem by the time they are 25. Researchers from Indiana University studied 597 Finnish twins assessing them for drinking problems at age 18 and again at 25. The researchers used a questionnaire called the Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index which asks about 23 different negative consequences of alcohol drinking such as getting into a fight with a friend or family member. The more drink-related problems experienced by an adolescent at 18 the likelier it was that they would be diagnosed with alcoholism at 25. The study shows that teenage heavy drinking is something that needs to be taken seriously not just a phase that kids go through.